Blog Tour Tens List & Giveaway - Exodus 2022 by Kenneth G. Bennett

Tour Schedule

EXODUS 2022
Author: Kenneth G. Bennett
Genre: Sci-Fi Thriller (pre-apocalypse)
Audience: NA/Adult
Release date: May 20, 2014
Publisher: Booktrope Publishing

Summary:
Joe Stanton is in agony. Out of his mind over the death of his young daughter. Or so it seems.

Unable to contain his grief, Joe loses control in public, screaming his daughter’s name and causing a huge scene at a hotel on San Juan Island in Washington State. Thing is, Joe Stanton doesn’t have a daughter. Never did. And when the authorities arrive they blame the 28-year-old’s outburst on drugs.

What they don’t yet know is that others up and down the Pacific coast—from the Bering Sea to the Puget Sound—are suffering identical, always fatal mental breakdowns.

With the help of his girlfriend—the woman he loves and dreams of marrying—Joe struggles to unravel the meaning of the hallucination destroying his mind. As the couple begins to perceive its significance—and Joe’s role in a looming global calamity—they must also outwit a billionaire weapons contractor bent on exploiting Joe’s newfound understanding of the cosmos, and outlast the time bomb ticking in Joe’s brain.

Book Links:
Amazon ¦ Goodreads ¦ LibraryThing ¦ Shelfari

Tens List - Top Ten Fictional Lands I Would Like To Visit

1) Middle Earth

2) Narnia

3) EarthSea

4) Hogwarts

5) Oz

6) Camelot

7) Wonderland

8) The ice planet from Star Wars, The Empire Strikes Back

9) The Ocean in Neil Gaiman's "The Ocean at the End of the Lane"

10) The Starship Enterprise (if that can be considered a fictional land)


Excerpt from Exodus 2022

Joe Stanton opened his eyes and whispered his daughter’s name. “Lorna Gwin.”

No reply.

“Sweetie? You awake?”

Joe yawned and stared at the popcorn-tiled ceiling, stained here and there with sprawling amoeba-shaped rings, souvenirs of long-ago rainstorms.

He stretched. Shifted position in the bed.

Early morning sunshine stabbed through a crack in the blackout curtains, illuminating the spartan motel room like a searchlight in an abandoned mine. Ella slept quietly beside him, her dark-red hair spilling across two pillows.

“Lorna Gwin?” Joe whispered, louder now. He sat up and swung his feet to the carpet. The adjacent double bed was empty. Rumpled and ruffled, but empty. “Lorna G?”

Must be in the bathroom.

Joe got to his feet. Too fast. “Darlin’?” he croaked, head spinning, hands trembling.

No sound from the bathroom. Nothing.

Something’s wrong.

He crossed the room in three strides, stepping through the bright slash of daylight.

I overslept. Something’s happened.

The bathroom door stood open, revealing an empty tub, shower curtain swept to one side. No sign of the little girl.

“Lorna Gwin,” Joe called, turning and scanning the main room in earnest now.

Ella stirred.

“Lorna?” Joe stepped to the window and shoved the heavy drapes apart, trying to keep his voice steady. “You hidin’, sweetheart? Come on out now.”

Ella rested on her elbows and tracked his movements with startled, sleep-filled eyes. “What is it? What’s going on?”

“Lorna Gwin’s missing.”

Joe threw on a wrinkled T-shirt. Stepped into a pair of cargo shorts.

“What?”

“Lorna Gwin,” Joe replied, exasperated.

He jammed his feet into a pair of Keens and tugged the laces tight. “Probably went down to the lobby to get a soda. I told her not to leave without telling us.”

“What? Joe…Baby—”

The door slammed, and Joe stomped toward the stairs. It was 5:32 a.m.

About the Author

Kenneth G. Bennett is the author of the young adult novels, THE GAIA WARS and BATTLE FOR CASCADIA, and the new sci-fi thriller, EXODUS 2022. A wilderness enthusiast who loves backpacking, skiing and kayaking, Ken enjoys mysteries, science fiction, action adventure stories and, most especially, novels that explore the relationship between humans and the wild. He lives on an island in the Pacific Northwest with his wife and son and two hyperactive Australian Shepherds.

THE GAIA WARS series was optioned for film by Identity Films, LA in 2012, and both GAIA and BATTLE have been featured as Top 100 Bestsellers in Teen Literature and Fiction on Amazon. Kirkus Reviews called THE GAIA WARS “A solid first entry of a promising, imaginative new young-adult fantasy series featuring a well-crafted character.”

Author Links:

Website ¦ Goodreads ¦ Facebook ¦ Twitter

***Giveaway***

There are 2 contests running.

First contest: 1 Kindle Fire and 15 signed paperbacks up for grabs.

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Second contest: 1 Kindle, ePub of PDF copy of Exodus 2022 up for grabs.

Ends May 28th (Midnight GMT).

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Win a copy of Undeliverable by Rebecca A. Demarest! (And everyone can get a free ebook!)

So, May 25th is International and National Missing Children’s Day, and in an effort to help raise funds and awareness for the National Center of Missing Children, anybody who makes any kind of donation to the Center is eligible for a free ebook of Undeliverable, and will enter you into a raffle for a free signed copy!

Here’s how it work: Go to the Center’s website, donate, mark the donation as in Honor Of the Undeliverable Novel, then copy and paste your donation confirmation number into the Rafflecopter giveaway below (along with the donation amount, if you are willing, it’d be nice to see just how much money we raise this month).

If you don’t want to, or can’t afford to make a donation (though even a dollar will net you a free ebook), you still have several ways to enter the raffle for the grand prize of a personalized copy of Undeliverable and Thea of Oz. If you already have a copy of Undeliverable, you can still enter and if you win, your copy will be donated to the organization or library of your choice.

The raffle will go on through the month of May, so share as many times as you like for additional entries!

Undeliverable

Author: Rebecca A. Demarest

Genre: Literary Fiction/Suspense

Pages: 288

Language: English

Formats: Print, Large Print, eBook, Audiobook forthcoming

Book Description:

When Benjamin Grant’s son disappeared a year ago, he felt it was his duty as a father to do everything in his power to find his son, and he tried. He threw himself into the search, but his obsession left him without a home, wife, or job. Now, he’s managed to find work at the United States Postal Service’s Mail Recovery Center, which he hopes will prove an invaluable tool in his search. With the help of Sylvia—a kleptomaniac artist—Ben learns the ins and outs of a warehouse full of lost mail and explores every lead in his son’s case. But when that investigation leads him to Leonard Moscovich, Ben fears the worst.

Buy Links:

Amazon ¦ B&N

Thea of Oz

Author: Rebecca A. Demarest

Book Description:

Hundreds of years have passed since Dorothy first went to Oz. Since then, global warming has caused devastating storms that strip our world and dump the detritus on Oz, including the occasional refugee. Thea is one such traveler, and she’s been on Oz since she was a young child. Little does she know that she is in fact the direct descendent of the fabled Gale girl, which has just come to the attention of the green-skinned Minister of Trade. Accompanied by her disdainful cat Mrow, Thea must confront the villainy that her ancestors fomented all those years ago.

Thea of Oz is the first novella in the five-part Ozite cycle, illustrated by Jason Morgado, and will be available for download in August through all the major eBook vendors for $2.99.

About the author Rebecca A. Demarest

Rebecca A. Demarest is an author, designer, and illustrator living in Boston, MA. She has had stories published in several journals including Epiphany and Far Off Places, and Undeliverable is her debut novel. In her spare time, she crochets, gardens, and goes climbing with her boyfriend.

Author Links:

Website ¦ Facebook ¦ Twitter

***Giveaway***

A personalized copy of Undeliverable and a copy of Thea of Oz is up for grabs.

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Author Spotlight - Georgina Newcomb {Wattpad}

Among Us
Author: Georgina Newcomb
Genre: Teen Science-Fiction

Wattpad Book Blurb:
Lain Morgan was a shy 16-year-old girl with a dangerous secret. If discovered, it would mean a life of shackles and experimentation.

When she was tracked down by a persistent boy who knew too much, she panicked that her secret was about to be exposed. But instead she learned that her ability to manipulate time was a little more than strange, and the birth father she never knew was part of a race of aliens, living secretly amongst mankind for the last twenty years ago.

In order to protect her adoptive family from people who were hunting down others like her one by one, she runs, heading toward a rebellion that she's less than prepared for.

Author Links:

Website ¦ Facebook ¦ Twitter ¦ Wattpad

Author Interview

1. Please tell the readers a bit about yourself.

I'm from a family of authors (I have grandparents, aunts and uncles who have all published). My biggest claim to fame would be my mother who has written and published 24 books and is a Sunday Times Best-Seller. But for me personally, I have always loved books and I have probably read hundreds in my lifetime, spending most of my childhood reading. But writing is what I've always wanted to do, right when I was a little girl, I was always writing stories and I hope to continue writing for a long time. I tried out a few careers, even gaining a qualification in HR, but it wasn’t for me. Writing is absolutely my present and future.

2. What types of books do you write?

The first complete novel I wrote was a Fantasy/Adventure novel aimed at 20-30 year olds. For the Among Us trilogy I switched to Young Adult/Science-Fiction. Although the Fantasy/Adventure novel was fun to write, it didn’t flow as smoothly as Among Us did. I’ll probably stick with Young Adult going forward, maybe flipping between Science-Fiction, Fantasy and Adventure. If an idea forms, however crazy it is, if it excites me I will write it.

3. How many books have you written?

I have completed two books and partly written two more. The first book I wrote, Faelydur’s Conquest, was the first in a series and I started the second, stopping after 30,000 words. I realised that the series needed a lot of work, and I wasn’t accomplished enough as a writer to sit down and make the changes that were necessary as it’s more of an epic series. So I put it to one side and eventually began posting it on Wattpad a month or so ago for feedback. I stepped away from writing for about a month after that and then the idea of Among Us came along. I wrote the first book, edited and re-edited it in about three months, then began posting it to Wattpad. I started book two recently and so far it’s going great.

4. What movie and/or book are you looking forward to this year?

I’m really enjoying The Hunger Game’s movies, so I can’t wait for the next one to come out at the end of the year. I also love The Hobbit; it’s probably equal between the two. As for books, there are a lot I’m waiting for to finish several series. Dreams of Gods and Monsters by Laini Taylor recently came out; though I’ve been so busy I haven’t picked it up yet. As for one’s that haven’t yet been released, The Retribution of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin and City of Heavenly Fire by Cassandra Clare, are probably the ones I’m most looking forward to.

5. What type of books do you enjoy reading?

Young Adult books are great easy reads and I love sitting down with them, sometimes hashing them out in 1-3 days. Anything magical/supernatural is fantastic and makes for a great escape from normal boring life, so fantasy and science-fiction are definitely my first choices. I do like adventure novels, but it has to be really good, if none of the main characters have a strange story or ability, to hold my interest. To be fair though, I have read a lot and as long as it’s an interesting story, I’m likely to read it to the end and probably pick up the next book in the series.

6. If you were stranded on a desert island what 3 things would you want with you?

I’m assuming clothes go without saying so…

1. Books. Lots and lots of books. I could be anywhere and it wouldn’t matter as long as I had books to read.
2. If I had access to (vegetarian menu) Nandos, I’d be a happy girl.
3. If I couldn’t write, I’d go crazy. I’d need my laptop, but I guess that wouldn’t really work without a power source. Would a power source be part of it or extra? And if I had a power source, could I have the internet too? Choices choices. 

7. Are you considering a sequel?

Among Us is actually a trilogy. I’ve already plotted the second and written down some ideas for the third. I generally know in my head where it’s going and I’m excited to get it all down on paper. So yes, there are more to come and I’ve already started writing the second book. I’d love to finish it in the same kind of time frame that I finished Among Us, but we’ll see.

8. What inspired you to become a writer?

The main reason is my love of stories. I once read a quote which said that 'If I didn't have writing, I'd be running down the street hurling grenades in people's faces'. Now I doubt very much that I would be doing something like that, but I think I would probably go insane if I didn't get out all of the stories that run around in my head, by writing them down. If I didn't have writing, I honestly don't know who I would be.


Excerpt from Among Us

“Around five billion years from now, the sun will begin to die,” said Mr Hefferman, throwing his hands dramatically into the air. “The sun is born with enough fuel to last its lifetime and when the core runs out of hydrogen and helium, it comes to the end of its life.”

“Then it explodes, isn’t that right sir,” Joe barked from the back of the classroom. “KABOOM!” He gestured the explosion with his fingers splayed as he rolled his chair back on its legs.

“Not quite,” replied Mr Hefferman, a small smile appearing at the corner of his mouth. “Who can tell me what will happen to the sun when it runs out of nuclear fuel?” He gazed around at the seated children and waited for hands to rise. They didn’t.

In a seat near the high-ceilinged windows, where the bookshelves filled with workbooks, dictionaries and thesaurus’s lined the walls, Lain tried to be invisible. She was in enough trouble as it was that day and didn’t need any help from Mr Hefferman.

“Lain?”

She wrinkled her nose at the sound of her name. Just her luck. “I don’t know sir,” she feigned ignorance, willing the teacher to choose someone else.

“Come now Lain, you know this,” he smiled encouragingly.

It made her feel guilty to lie and she had been told that she wasn’t very good at it, but he didn’t know what would happen if she answered his question. She preferred the idea of detention. Lain shook her head and stared at her desk; letting her bangs fall over her eyes, she peered through the black strands. If she couldn’t see him, he couldn’t see her. Such a childish thought, but it made her feel better to pretend.

Mr Hefferman gave up. “The core will contract and the sun will swell, engulfing Mercury and Venus and perhaps even the Earth.”

The classroom chorused with gasps, as was to be expected at the idea of the end of the world. But even so, 5 billion years was a long time, it was not something any of them needed to worry about.
Zoe raised her hand. “What happens if the Earth isn’t engulfed?”

Mr Hefferman clapped his hands together and Lain flinched. “Great question, Zoe. Well if the Earth is not swallowed up by the sun, it will begin to melt.”

“Like an ice-cream?” Sophia asked, grinning. Sophia’s circle of friends found this analogy particularly funny and proceeded to burst into fits of hysterical giggles.

Lain hooked one ankle around the other and folded her arms on the desk. Sighing, she wondered if she was the only one who was actually interested in learning about the sun. It may not be their immediate problem but generations and generations from now, their families would be facing the end of the world. That was scary – wasn’t it?

“Indeed,” he nodded and Lain looked up in surprise, thinking for a moment that she had spoken aloud. Their teacher wasn’t looking at her however, he had begun to pace slowly behind his desk, rubbing his hands together as if this was the most exciting speech he had ever given. “Whether the sun will engulf the earth or vaporise the surface of the planet, we cannot know. But should the human race wish to continue living on, we will need to leave Earth and find another planet to inhabit.”

The bell rang.

Lain didn’t wait for Mr Hefferman to excuse the class. She was up from her seat and hurrying out the door in seconds.

In the hallway it was all out war. Any other day and the halls of the school would be energetic with teens avoiding parents and homework. The cliques would be hanging out in their different stations; the popular girls hovering beside their sporty other halves, the rugby club would launch their rugby balls over the heads of unsuspecting pupils and the hockey team would be sweeping their sticks across the ground, knocking over those clumsy enough to not watch their feet. Even the smarter homework-loving individuals would be hanging around after class, asking their teachers a few more questions about that maths equation. Lain was not part of any of the school cliques, she always went straight home after school.

Today was not one of those days. Today was a Friday, and Friday meant weekend.

The halls of the Oxford Academy on a Friday were equivalent to a heavy metal mosh pit. In this instance the phrase, ‘No Pain, No Gain’, was relied on greatly. The pupils flew from their classrooms and threw themselves at the crowd pressed up against the single exit doorway, moulding themselves into the hundred already squashed into the hallway.

Guest Post & Giveaway - Dark Tidings by Ken Magee

Dark Tidings

Author: Ken Magee

Genre: Fantasy

Publisher: Ragged Cover Publishing

Pages: 312

Language: English

Format: Print & eBook

Book Description:

What happens when ancient magic meets the internet? One thing is certain, modern life will never be the same again.

A thousand years ago, a young thief, Tung, and a disgraced wizard, Madrick, are thrust together in an executioner’s dungeon. In the darkness, Madrick reveals an incredible secret about a legendary spell. The great spell helps them escape their prison cell... and eventually their century.

Catapulted into the present day, their lives collide with Michael, a computer hacker who plans to destroy the world’s largest bank. But sinister people are tracking their every move and they will stop at nothing to steal their spell.

Dark Tidings is book one of the spellbinding Dark Tidings trilogy.

Buy Links:

Amazon ¦ B&N

Guest Post - World Building

Some fantasy writers have to work incredibly hard to build a mystical world for their characters to inhabit. There are so many questions to answer. What colour is the sky? How many moons are visible? Is there vegetation and what about gravity and air? There is so much detail we take for granted in our ‘normal’ world. We know about night and day, and how long a day lasts. We know about history and how our world came to be the way it is. We understand descriptions of architecture, culture, fashion, religion, crime and punishment, weapons and war, currency, food, how long people live and, naturally, language.

Of course, not all of this needs to be considered when building a new world, but the author needs to know enough about his imagined habitat to ensure everything around his characters remains consistent. And indeed, his characters personalities, aims and ambitions will all be shaped by the environment in which they live.

Authors of contemporary, historical or urban fantasy have a much easier time, or do they? I thought it might be interesting to jot down a few of the things I do to draw the reader into the story and make them believe that magic is real and it’s all around them. And by the way, it is.

The story in Dark Tidings, the first book in my ‘ancient magic meets the Internet’ trilogy, began in medieval times, an age when magic dominated society. Let’s have a quick look at just a couple of the ways I built the illusion of the medieval world. Using the Internet, I researched the relevant years and made sure the buildings, customs, clothes and foods pretty much reflected the period… that really wasn’t too difficult.

I have plenty of scenes which reflect life a thousand years ago. There is poverty, most of the food is rubbish, ordinary people suffer arbitrary imprisonment, torture is commonplace and rich folk (like the barons and earls) have all the power. Actually, not much has changed if you think about it.

On top of that, the story is peppered with real events, like the battle of Hastings or the problem with the Vikings. I think introducing things, with which people are familiar, adds to the believability and once again helps blur the reader’s perception of what’s real and what isn’t. The blurrier the line between fact and fiction, the more credible the whole story becomes.

The characters’ names are important too. I want them to either sound right or be right for the period. And if I can use the name to build a little amusing anecdote, that’s a bonus. Let me take Courtney as the example. I was surprised to discover it was a popular medieval name. It’s derived from the nickname for a person with a snub nose, from the old French ‘court nez’… court (short) and nez (nose). It was also the nickname of a hero from a medieval story… an axe took off the tip of his nose in a battle. Now’s there’s a little story which needed to be told. Interesting, true and fun.

As a side note, I have a particular dislike of names which are difficult to say, they slow my reading each time I encounter them. Some Sci-Fi authors are particularly prone to this. Come on guys, I don’t need to learn how to pronounce Xyegraroxivert to believe he’s from another planet.

One thing I decided not to do in my thousand year old world was make my characters use medieval language. A few reviewers commented about that, but I’m happy with my decision. The vocabulary was extremely limited back then and I felt that restricting myself would detract from the storytelling without really adding to the authenticity of the setting. For example, how many people know that the word ‘money’ wasn’t used until about 1250? Does using that word really destroy the image I’m building? I don’t think so.

Through the use of magic, my characters get transported to the twenty-first century and that’s where the main part of the story takes place. The travellers do get confused by modern terminology, customs and of course, technology. I think that’s enough to keep the reader believing they’ve travelled a thousand years across time. And, of course, some of the misunderstandings are very funny.

Once the story had moved into the modern era, the challenge for me as a writer was to make the reader believe that magic and dark conspiracies really do exist all around us. One technique I used was to interlace little sub-plots which suggested that some of the phenomena we think we can explain with science are in fact a result of magic or the action of supernatural powers e.g. global warming, the expanding universe, weather forecasting and evolution. I think this helps blur the line between fact and fiction. So much so, that I now believe half the things I made up… which isn’t going to help me if I’m ever asked to write an article for a science journal.

Oh, my computer’s reminding me about my next appointment. The magic of technology!

Thanks for reading this and please leave a comment or get in touch if you have any questions.ken.magee@gametheworld.com

About the Author

Most folk believe that technology rules their lives. They’re wrong. Dark conspiracies and ancient magic actually dominate this world. My one mission in life is to open people’s eyes to that fact.

I hide behind the pretence that I write fiction to ensure I don't attract unwelcome attention; deadly attention.

My name is Ken Magee and I tell people I write contemporary fantasies which blend adventure and humour with technology and magic. My books live under the tagline ‘ancient magic meets the Internet’. Dark Tidings, The Black Conspiracy and A Darker Shade of Black make up the trilogy.

Here’s the rest of my cover story...

I worked for many years in the computer industry in a wide variety of roles including programming, systems analysis and sales. In the middle of it all, I served in the Naval Reserve for five years... which was hard work, but fun. In 2010, I decided to make time to finish the book I’d started many years earlier (writing not reading). I would have finished it sooner, but life got in the way. It’s finished now (the book, not life), but I don’t think any of the original story survived the process.

I love reading, writing and words. I also have a keen interest in music, technology, movies, travel and the Internet.

Author Links:

Website ¦ Facebook ¦ Twitter ¦ Goodreads ¦ Wattpad

***Giveaway***

5 Kindle or PDF editions of Dark Tidings up for grabs.

Ends May 26th (midnight GMT).

Open internationally.

Contest is void where prohibited. Entrants must be 13 or else have parent or guardian’s permission to enter. Winners will be notified via email and will have 48 hours to respond or another winner will be selected. The winner will be posted on this page after the winner responds. Winning entries will be verified for authenticity.

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Book Blast & Giveaway - I'm With You by Taylor Dean

I'm With You

by Taylor Dean

Can three little words irrevocably change your life?

When the doctors inform Chloe Brennan that her pregnancy is “incompatible with life,” her subsequent choices will change her path forever.

She becomes one of the quiet, unsung heroes of this world, incredibly strong, yet somehow wrongly looked upon as damaged.

Three people will pierce Chloe’s existence: her husband, a stranger, and a precious baby.

One will say goodbye, one will say hello, and one will say both at the same time.

I’m With You is a novel about selfless love and the sacredness of life.

Please note: While this book is a romance novel, it also deals with the sensitive issue of baby loss grief. The emotions are real, and sometimes dark. If you are sensitive to this issue, this may not be the book for you.

Buy Links:

Amazon

 

Praise for I'M WITH YOU:

Taylor Dean creates a beautiful story of loss, grief, and love.

~Jana (Book Reviewer)

Chloe’s story of grief, growth and healing is poignant and had me wanting to shed tears one moment, and then smiling as hope took root and bloomed in her heart.

~Charissa of Joy in the Moments

It's amazing how these tragic moments in our lives shape our futures, and this wonderful grandson of Ms. Dean's gave her the strength, courage and words to let others know about grief as well as Trisomy 18.

~Katherine (Book Reviewer)

Excerpt from I'm With You

Jack turned and looked at her, his eyes wet with tears. “I’m sorry you had to go through it alone.”

“If I could have, maybe I would’ve left too. I didn’t have that option. I don’t blame Mark, I really don’t. Who wouldn’t want to escape? It was a horrific experience.”

“I don’t think it was,” Jack stated quietly.

Startled by his words, Chloe said, “Excuse me?”

“I don’t believe you.”

Chloe felt surprised by his perceptiveness. Her breath caught in her throat as she said, “You’re right. Losing him was horrific. But the experience was one of the most precious times of my life. I’ve never felt so full of love for another individual. It consumed me. I loved him with an intensity I’ve never felt before. He’s the greatest blessing I’ve ever received in my life and I don’t regret a single moment. Maybe I never actually heard him speak, but he said more to me in his short life than anyone has ever said to me in my lifetime. He spoke to my heart in ways that are unfathomable. He changed me and left an imprint on my life that I will never forget. He taught me the true meaning of love and what it’s like to love someone else more than yourself.”

Jack shook his head, fighting emotion. “I can see that, I can feel that. This room is a testament to that love. I can feel your overwhelming love for your child just by glancing in here. That’s how strong it is.”

“Not everyone would agree with you. Mark hates this room. It represents loss to him.”

Jack took a step closer, his eyes blazing. “It represents love, completely unselfish love that few people in this world will ever understand or experience. I’m amazed by you, Chloe.”

Amazon

A word about I'm With You:

Baby loss is a difficult subject. The accompanying grief is complicated and heartbreaking.

In December of 2011, my daughter lost a baby at eight months gestation to Trisomy 18. If you don't know what that is, I didn't either, until it happened to us. (You will learn all about this devastating condition during the course of the book.) I'm With You is a romance novel that includes my daughter's Trisomy 18 story. I knew I wanted to write about the experience one day, but it took me awhile to emotionally prepare myself to actually do it. It has been highly therapeutic. My daughter granted me permission to share her Trisomy 18 story with the hope that it will help others who are dealing with baby loss grief.

There is a song written for and dedicated to the families of Trisomy 18 and 13 babies. It is beautiful and deeply expresses the love parents feel for these special babies.

Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep

About the Author

Taylor Dean lives in Texas and is the mother of four grown children. Upon finding herself with an empty nest, she began to write the stories that were always wandering around in her head, quickly finding she had a passion for writing, specifically romance. Whether it's paranormal, contemporary, or suspense-you'll find all sub-genres of CLEAN Romance in her line-up.

Author Links:

Website ¦ Twitter ¦ Facebook ¦ Goodreads

***Giveaway***

$50 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash

Ends 5/31/14

Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. 

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Blog Tour Tens List & Giveaway - Revelation by Rayna Noire

Tour Schedule

Revelation

Author: Rayna Noire

Series: Pagan Eyes, Book Two

Genre: Paranormal YA

Book Description:

Nora’s impending college graduation is a triumph over the dark incident in her past that changed her life and stopped her best friend’s.  Balancing school, work and her demented admirer at the diner is tough.  All she has is six more months, but it similar to walking a tightrope blindfolded.

Life-like dreams pull her into the 19th century world of Clayton.  A man who declares he’s her soul mate.  Even though, she’s decided against romance, the young witch finds herself drawn to the Irish healer, even hearing his voice in her head.

This would make most people question their sanity. Nora needs to find out if Clayton is real and if she’s crossing over into another world in her sleep. If she is, will she end up stuck in the past? Can magick bring them together?

Buy Links:

Smashwords ¦ Amazon ¦ Amazon Kindle

Tens List - Ten Places I Want To Visit 

The great thing about being a writer is that travel is research. Every place I go I gather information. Here’s ten places I’d go if I had the money. 

1. New Orleans- I am interested in the haunted aspect as opposed to Mardi Gras. 
2. Easter Island- There is something about the large stone heads looking out into the sea that intrigues me. 
3. Scotland- The people and the populace are a favorite of writers. 
4. Australia- There is a different vibe there and koala bears.
5. New Zealand- Can anyone say Lord of the Rings? 
6. The Amazon River & Rainforest- I know I couldn’t explore it all, but I’d enjoy a peek at the diversity that exists there. It would be an indulgence for the science teacher in me. 
7. Dominican Republic- My dream is to own a B&B on the coast someday. I’m shopping for location. 
8. Florida Keys- I am beach and paperback book type of gal too. 
9. Las Vegas- Actually, I’d like a return trip since it would be a great place to locate a story. 
10. Green Turtle Island- this is a tiny island with cottages on stilts, no television, no phones and no air conditioning. I’d like to check out from everything and experience nature. I bet there’s some great snorkeling in the sparkling clear waters too. 

I’d be curious to discover where everyone else wants to go.

Excerpt from Revelation

His eyes sparkled with humor as he held out his hand to her. “Climb up, darling. I’ve been waiting for you.”

Familiarity colored his voice as if he greeted an old friend. Nora knew she’d have remembered a dark-eyed hottie with curly hair and a wicked smile. Better yet, the bright green and yellow wagon he stood on was definitely memorable, especially with its fanciful drawings on the side and the two draft horses in the traces. Was she remembering part of a movie or a story Nana told her? That was it. Nana was part Romany Gypsy.

Still, it didn’t make sense if she was in the story and the unknown man spoke English. Part of her wanted to take his hand and step up into the wagon to take off with him. At times, he looked into her eyes, not only as if he knew her, but also liked what he saw, which made his invitation tempting, very tempting.

The man dropped his hand. “Oh, I see you’re still not ready, my Nora.”

“How do you know my name?”

The man jumped down from the wagon, startling her, invading her space. His face filled her vision. She had to admire his strong jawline, and the crinkles around his eyes when he smiled caused her heart to beat faster. Her lips turned up naturally in response.

“Nora, Nora, how could you have forgotten me? I have loved you through several lifetimes and searched for you in each of mine. My life was desolate until I found you in a dream.”

She was dreaming. That made sense.

“Nora, Nora.”

Why did he keep repeating her name? He said her name as if he knew it well, without a blink or a hesitation, not like those fraternity guys trying to hit on her who could never quite remember her name, calling her everything from Nadine to Noreen. One even called her Norad, which she promptly informed him stood for North American Aerospace Defense Command. As she recalled, her would-be Romeo stumbled away, muttering, "bitch” loud enough for her to hear.

Men never worked too hard to romance her. Her purpose in attending college was to get an education, enabling her to obtain a decent job. A good portion of the girls who came to school felt the need to cut loose by skipping class, drinking too much, and having sex with guys they didn’t know or couldn’t remember. Often those same girls flunked out in less than two years. As a scholarship student, she needed to keep her grades up.

Why didn’t she know his name?

His voice became higher, sounding more like a woman’s, and he shook her shoulder vigorously. Why would he do that? Ogden would do that, but not this mysterious man.

“Nora, get up right now, or you’re going to be late to your clinical.”

Tonya’s voice broke into her sleep-drugged thoughts. Her eyelids fluttered opened to the morning sunlight streaming around her curtain, indicating the time. “Oh, I overslept. Thank you, Tonya.”

Her clean uniform hung on the hanger in front of her closet where she left it. The ironed smock and pants gave her a little reassurance that she’d make it on time. Some of the students showed up in wrinkled uniforms, and from standing too close to them, she suspected a few were unwashed, too. How could a person make it this far in the physician assistant program and still not take it seriously? Nora took it seriously. Of course, she did.  She took everything in earnest, probably the curse of being the firstborn.

Tonya kept a running commentary as she dressed. “It’s not like you to be late. I even heard your alarm go off, so I came into the room. You had a big, stupid grin on your face. Was it a good dream?”

Thinking back to the man in her dream, she’d probably call it perplexing as opposed to good. Yet, she was happy she’d remembered. Part of her recognized him and was glad to see him. “I guess you could call it a good dream.”

“Ah ha.” Tonya grinned and shook a finger at her. “I bet you were not dreaming about Ogden then.”

Grabbing a brush, she ran it through her short, dark hair. A shower would be better, but she’d given that up when she chose to continue to dream about the dark-eyed man instead of getting up on time. “How do you know I wasn’t dreaming about Ogden?”

Snorting, her roommate shook her head. “Girl, now’s not the time for it, but…”

Nora knew her outspoken roommate would say whatever was on her mind. Holding back wasn’t her way. One of the things she enjoyed about the colorful Jamaican. “Go on.”

“All right, I will.” Placing her long-fingered hands on her ample hips, she started, “We’ve been friends for almost four years, right?”

Nora nodded, thinking back to the day they ended up together. Her assigned roommate had reported her when she’d lighted a candle in recognition of the Goddess. It hadn’t been the lighted candle, even though it was against the rules. Nope, her roommate had told her the Goddess statue creeped her out. Called her a Satanist then reported her for open flames. She should have reported Crystal for smoking in the bathroom, but she hadn’t. Instead, in a panicked moment, she’d pictured her career and scholarship vanishing.

About the Author:

Rayna Noire is an author and a historian. The desire to uncover the truth behind the original fear of witches led her to the surprising discovery that people believed in magick in some form up to 150 years ago. A world that believed the impossible could happen and often did must have been amazing. With this in mind, Ms. Noire taps into this dimension, shapes it into stories about a Pagan family who really isn’t that different from most people. They do go on the occasional time travel adventures and magick happens.

Author Links:

Website ¦ Twitter ¦ Facebook

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BOTW - WEEK 51 {Wattpad}

Bus Rides

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An extraordinary connection in an ordinary bus.

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Lain Morgan was a shy 16-year-old girl with a dangerous secret. If discovered, it would mean a life of shackles and experimentation. When she was tracked down by a persistent boy who knew too much, she panicked that her secret was about to be exposed. But instead she learned that her ability to manipulate time was a little more than strange, and the birth father she never knew was part of a race of aliens, living secretly amongst mankind for the last twenty years ago. In order to protect her adoptive family from people who were hunting down others like her one by one, she runs, heading toward a rebellion that she's less than prepared for.

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Alexis Blake was dead, but her spirit wasn’t. Unaware of her motives and the reasons behind her choice, Alexis lived her life to the fullest. Her best friend, Jo, remained her sole stump to hold onto.

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